Postage Rate Hikes Affect Charities

If you haven't already heard, Saturday is the last day you can use your 37 cent stamps to send a letter. As of sunday, the postal rates rise about 5%, and while two cents extra for a stamp may not seem too bad, some charities say they'll feel the pinch.A machine quickly cranks out bulk mail stamps for the Special Olympics, but now the non-profit will have to crank out a couple more cents per piece to spread the word about its events.

Andrea Sullivan, with the Special Olympics says, "it might only be a 100, or 150 dollars... But that money is not spent on athletes, and that's what we're all about."

Sullivan says they've already had to modify what they mail. Now, volunteers only assemble the information that has to go out, and they've eliminated extras like mass mailings.

Sullivan says, "this is one small piece of our budget but any non profit watches where every penny goes."

And Friday, pennies were being paid in two's mostly, for the now necessary two cent stamps.

Bob Guse with the Eau Claire Post Office says, "this is our first increase since 2002. 5% isn't bad since gas prices went up, we hope people will see that much in four years is not out of line."

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